The present invention relates to self-service transactions, and is particularly directed to a self-service system and a method of loading an executable transaction application program from a self-service terminal to a portable electronic device.
In a known advertisement system, advertisement information is loadable from a base terminal to portable electronic devices which are located in the vicinity of the base terminal. The advertisement information is loaded from the base terminal to a portable electronic device when a detector associated with the base terminal detects that the portable electronic device has moved within a predetermined distance from the detector. The loaded advertisement information is viewable by a user carrying the portable electronic device. Although the advertisement system provides useful information, the advertisement system is clearly not a self-service system in which users of portable electronic devices can carry out self-service transactions.
In a known self-service system, a self-service terminal user is able to carry out a self-service transaction at a self-service terminal, such as an automated teller machine (ATM), by using a portable electronic device, such as a cellular phone. The portable electronic device needs to be preloaded with the required executable transaction application program before the user can use the portable electronic device to carry out the desired transaction at the self-service terminal. If the portable electronic device has not been preloaded with the required executable transaction application program, then the user is unable to carry out the transaction at the self-service terminal.
The fact that the required executable transaction application program needs to be preloaded onto the portable electronic device places a burden upon the user of the portable electronic device to insure that the executable transaction application program is properly and timely preloaded. This burden increases substantially if the user has to insure that a number of different executable transaction application programs need to be preloaded before the user can carry out transactions at different types of self-service terminals. It would desirable to be able eliminate or at least reduce the burden upon the user to make sure that all required executable transaction application programs are properly preloaded onto his/her portable electronic device.